Ahhhhh...the weekend. A time to rest, relax, kick back and...well, in all honesty I couldn't lie any longer without feeling dirty or busting out laughing. Although the weekends are a break from the monetary and stress of the work week; it comes with it's own quirks and ...well in my case, as with many of you out there...children. AKA "The Wildcard". Children are no less predictable than a Charlie Huff knuckleball (look him up if you need to), the weather in Maine, or the difference between what you order at a McDonald's drive thru and what you actually get in your bag when you drive off. This weekend was, of course, no exception. In between the nine...yes...I counted...nine loads of laundry that I folded and put away and the countless dishes washed (we somehow manage to dirty like 4 plates per day...but like, 38 pieces of silverware and 22 coffee mugs), I managed to have my fair share of weird, semi-aggravating, confusing, hilarious moments with my two lovely kids this weekend...who are now 3 and 6 respectively.
My daughter, ever the lady, is pretty good at keeping herself entertained. Whether she is playing on her Kindle Fire, drawing pictures, writing words, or using her imagination to create an Angry Birds world in our toy room that would make Tim Burton jealous, she is a pretty great, smart, intelligent and funny kiddo. However, lately, and I don't know if I should blame school, her mother, me or...tv...? But, she has been getting sassy lately...and I mean, teenage sassy. Today she said, "Dad, can you get me a drink." I responded with, "Ry, you know where the Capri Suns are...they are in the office, go help yourself sweetie." To which she came back with, "But you're my dad, isn't that your job?" She was not kidding. She didn't even look up from her Kindle. In that instant I saw myself in about 10-12 years...it was scary. Like, wake up in the middle of the night...cold, flop sweat kind of scary. However, she is really a good, responsible girl...for the most part. I will remind myself that I said that when she is 16 or so.
Rivers on the other hand...I'm not really sure how to explain our relationship. I love him...he, within one minute, loves, detests, tolerates, ignores, needs, seeks, shadows, hates, admires and pities me. Not that I necessarily blame him. While Rylee proved herself to be sweet (most of the time) Rivers has become a sidekick of sorts. The go-to laugh factory. He spent most of his time walking through the house kicking things saying, "I'm Grumpy."...driving his Power Wheel 4-wheeler (Spiderman Edition) into everything in the house, mostly on purpose. He has gotten to a point where the animals in the house have begun to hide at the first sound of the 2 horsepower engine firing up. If that wasn't enough, he has decided to bestow upon me a nickname. While he decided to bypass such great names as, "Dad", "Daddy", "Cool Dude", "Sweet Sassy Molassie" and "Grampa Joe"...he has gone straight to..."Buckwheat". Yes, my 3 year old son has decided to call his father...Buckwheat. As in, "Hey Rivers, time to brush your teeth."..."Ok, Buckwheat." I do love my son...and even though the nickname is something I wish he'd forget...It definitely makes him a character. That makes me a proud Buckwheat.
On a last note, this weekend I said goodbye to the Spruce Mountain High School - South Campus class of 2013. Graduation was interesting...not that I expected anything different. They were/are a unique group that I have grown very fond of in the last four years. I have traveled to England, France, Ireland, Wales, and New York City with them...I have had them in numerous classes and had tons of talks with them...honest, sincere, stern, heartwarming, goofy, hilarious and deep talks. I will miss them tremendously. Don't get me wrong, at times they drove me crazy...I'm sure they think the same about me. However, that is the true hallmark of a close-knit group...a family. When you have disagreements, but still admire and respect each other...it's a glorious thing.
To the class of 2013...my advice is in honor of my daughter Rylee and her kindergarten class. They have Bee's that are color coded. Green is good, orange is not so good and Red is bad. I have my own list of "Be's" for you in the future... Be good. Be safe. Be brave. Be yourselves. Be atypical. Be kind. Be sincere. Be loving. Be open to other cultures. Be silly. Be there for each other. Be healthy. Be generous with your time, talents, patience, and grace. Be good to your parents, siblings, family and friends. Be afraid...but let the fear push you harder. Be creative. Be forever from a small town. Be gracious in defeat and success. Be willing to listen to others...sometimes thats all someone needs to get them through the day. Be humble but be willing to share your talents. Be always in touch. Be an adult...but always be a child...and above all else...be happy...always be happy. I will miss you all. I will always be there for you...I hope you all know that.
Buckwheat. Out.
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